HOARSENESS

Long-term hoarseness, that means longer than three weeks, should always be checked by a doctor as it is one of the symptoms of laryngeal cancer. Most voice problems are relatively harmless and can be cured or prevented by taking a few precautionary measures. If the hoarseness is caused by smoking it’s a no-brainer to give it up! Laryngitis is one of the most common causes of hoarseness. In laryngitis, the vocal folds temporarily swell, which may be caused by the common cold, an upper respiratory infection or an allergy. There are lots of remedies in the form of OTC-products available at the local pharmacy.

PTA: Guten Tag.
Female customer (whispering): Do you speak English?

Yes, I do. What can I do for you?
As you can guess, I am having problems with my voice.

Yes, I thought as much! By the way: whispering is probably one of the worst things that you can do if your larynx is affected!
Really? Why?

You see whispering causes the vocal cords to press together as much as if you were shouting. The best thing is to try and talk normally, if you have to, or better: not to talk at all.
Okay.

So, have you had a cold recently?
No.

That’s good! Have you overused your voice in the last two or three days?
No.

Do you smoke?
No, never.

Have you had this problem in the past?
No.

And: you don’t suffer from vocal cysts or vocal nodules?
Nope.

Does this problem cause you to wake up in the night?
Yes. I haven’t slept well the last two nights.

Last question: do you have an underactive thyroid.
No.

Aside from your hoarseness, the fact that you are waking up at night is an indicator that you might be suffering from acid reflux. I can recommend OTC-products that will alleviate the symptoms, but if you continue to have problems, you should definitely consult a doctor. We have these lozenges specifically for the throat, and I also recommend gargling with these Ems salts dissolved in lukewarm water mornings and evenings. You should also rest your voice as much as possible! Aside from that, you could take an antacid to help with the reflux. This one here is our best seller.
I’ll take everything, thank you.

Please make sure to go to your doctor if the symptoms don’t improve. Just to make sure that everything is okay.
Of course! Bye.

Goodbye.

You can find this article on page 120 in DIE PTA IN DER APOTHEKE 02/2021.

Catherine Croghan, Lecturer in English and native speaker